


Figgs are Fruits

by Beloved_bird



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adopted Grandma Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 13:37:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16833679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beloved_bird/pseuds/Beloved_bird
Summary: Arabella Figg can't stand around and watch Harry be abused, and so she takes him under her wing. But Severus Snape is a good friend of hers, and he finds out. What will happen.





	Figgs are Fruits

**Author's Note:**

> After some thought, I think this work can stand as is. I think it works pretty well as a one-shot so I'm going to post it here, and hope someone enjoys it.

Severus Snape was a fuck up, a complete and utter fuck up. He deserved to die a horrible death for what he’d done, but to know why, we need to look back a little further.

oOo

Severus had loved Lily Evans from the first moment he’d seen her float down from jumping off a swing, but Severus was doomed for this love to be unrequited.

Lily, after a rather unfortunate incident involving the “m” word, had fallen for James Potter, his childhood bully. And so, Severus, had gone to work for Lord Voldemort as a potions master. Now here is where he fucked up. He overheard a prophecy, and brought it to his Lord, not knowing it would lead him to Lily.

He’d fallen to his knees in front of him, begging him to spare her, but she protected a brat. Now he could not begrudge her for that, and so he’d seen the boy off to Petunias, the awful bint, on the night of all hallows eve.

And, while there, he’d met one Arabella Figg.

Arabella was a squib, but he never looked down on her, no, Severus saw her talent. Now Severus had a garden at home, full to the brim with magical potions ingredients. However, those of the non-magical variety tended to die. He’d not figured out exactly why the two varieties could not mix, but that night had led him to a solution, for Arabella Figg grew the non-magical potions ingredients for him.

Now, this began a long and fulfilling friendship. Severus would visit Arabella on the third Sunday of every month. If she had ingredients she would give them to him, and he would bring her some rarer varieties of tea.

It wasn’t until August six years later that he encountered something that he’d never have believed had he not seen it with his own eyes.

Arabella loved cats, she said she had twenty, though Severus couldn’t tell the difference, but he believed there to be more. He’d gotten Arabella a special tea that he’d insisted on brewing because he wished to see her face when he showed her. The jasmine green bloomed under the boiling water, a beautiful affect and Arabella’s slightly yellowed smile was worth the cost.

They were sitting in her living room when the front door opened.

“Harry?” Arabella called out.

“It’s me Bella.” A young voice called from the hall and Severus could hear the deadbolt. A black blur made it through the hallway and soon found itself in Arabella’s lap.

“We have company Nepos, say hi and then you may sleep” Arabella said.

Bright green eyes caught onyx “Hullo” the boy said and then lay across the couch, his head in Arabella’s lap.

Arabella laughed, Severus didn’t remember her ever laughing. Soft snores came from the small body in her lap. “As you may have guessed Severus, this is Harry Potter. He’s been staying with me most nights since he was four.”

“Why?” Severus asked.

“Why? Dumbledore has not told you?” Arabella asked.

Severus shook his head.

Arabella petted the messy head on her lap while one of the cats, a grey one curled up on the boys stomach. “I have watched Harry. I have watched him every day of his life, while he has lived with the muggles. I have watched, reported, and watched again. I have written, I have spoken. But most of all, I have lived.”

Severus really didn’t know what Arabella was on about.

“And Severus, when he was beaten, when he was starved, when he was brought here instead of the hospital because I was once married to a doctor…I could watch no more. So I made them a deal. Dumbledore would continue to believe that Harry was living with them, he would continue this because I would report it as such. But Harry would no longer be there, no he would stay with me. He would stay with me and be loved. What would they get in return? They would not be reported as child abusers. And so the money they were being paid, it came to me.”

“And why have I not seen him before?”

“He would stay in his room while you visited, or go to a friends, but tonight…I trust you will keep my secret Severus.”

Severus looked to the small boy in Arabella’s lap, small but not in a sickly way. He nodded, this would be his penance for his part in Lily’s death. He would protect her son.


End file.
